Stair-carpet fastener.



PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904.

0. KAB-CHER.

STAIR CARPET FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1904.

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UNTTED STATES A 'OTTO KARCHER, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES N.GONDER Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

AND OLIVER E. ESCHLIMAN, OF CANTON, OHIO.'

sTAm-CARPET FASTENER.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,586, datedDecemberA 27, 1904. Application led July 6, 1904. Serial No. 215,515.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO KARCHER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Stair-Carpet Fasteners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a device for fastening a carpet on a stairwithout the use of tacks, nails, or other sharp-pointed instrumentspassing through the carpet; and the object of this improvement is toprovide a fastener which can be applied to a stair having steps ofvarious heights and which when applied to fasten the carpet will at thesame time stretch it laterally, so that the carpet will lie neat andfiat on the step. This object is attained by the construction,mechanisrn,and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a perspective View ofafragment of a stair, showing acarpet fastened thereon; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the fastener asapplied to hold the carpet, and Fig. 3 a crosssection showing the mannerof applying the fastener.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The fastener is composed of the spring member l and the locking-bar 2,preferably made of malleable iron or other strong resilient metal. Thespring member comprises the body or bracket part 3 and downwardly-curvedor bowshaped laterally-extending arms 4, the outer ends of which armsare preferably curved upward, as at 5. On the lower sides of the outerends of the arms are preferably provided the friction-teeth 6, which areadapted to engage, but preferably not to perforate the carpet. In themiddle of the bracket is provided the vertical aperture or slot 7,across the top of which is provided the pivotal bai-'8, which ispreferably triangular in section, with an acute angle directed outward.The lower part 9 of the locking-bar is provided with the ratchet l0 onits inner side, the teeth of which are adapte-d to engage with thepivotal bar of the spring member, and the upper part ll is Curvedoutward and upward, and the end is ipreferably forked to form thesomewhatsharpened claws l2.

The fastener is applied to the carpet by pushing the curved ends of thebowed arms against the carpet into the lower angle 13 of one step, withthe upper end of the bracket inclined slightly outward, as shown in fulllines in Fig. 3. The claws of the locking-bar are then pushed againstthe carpet and into the angle form by the overhanging edge 14 of theupper step and the molding or filling which is usually providedthereunder,as shown in the same figure. This brings the point of contactofthe claws in a line outside of the inner lower angle of the step. Anengagement is then made between the pivot-bar of the spring member andone of the ratchet-teeth of the lockingbar, so that as the handle l5 ispressed inward the curved arms are sprung down from the position shownin broken lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, atwhich time .the pivot-point is in the neutral diagonal line between thelower angle of the step and the upper angle in which the claws engage,and when the spring member is pressed back flat against the inner sideof the step the pivotpoint will pass slightly inward beyond this lineand the curved arms will spring slightly up again to the position shownin full lines in Fig. 2, thus locking the fastener inits holdingposition. By means of the engagement of the friction-teeth at the outerends of the arms with the carpet when the spring member is forced downto lock the fastener in its holding position the carpet is at the sametime stretched laterally, and the inward movement of these teeth, causedby the reaction of the spring after the pivot is passed in beyond thediagonal line, is so slight as to not materially affect thestretching'which is thus accomplished.

l/Vhile stair-carpet fasteners have been used comprising two membershaving an adjustable pivotal connection, it is not known that one ofsuch members has heretofore included a spring element by means of whichthe endwise thrust of the two members, caused by forcing the pivot-pointinwardly, has been cushioned so as to cause a rebound after thewardly-curved claws on the upper end with an adjustable pivotalConnection between the two.

3. A stair-carpet fastener comprising' a member having lateralspring-arms curved downwardly and a locking-bar having outwardly-Curvedclaws on the upper end with a pivotal connection between the two.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO KARCHER.

W1 itn esses:

G. R. CHALFANT, HARRY FREASE.

